– The adventures of a solo round the world cyclist –

Day 144 (Australia – Pilbara)

That’s it, my time’s up! I thought when I saw the 4WD, flashy twirling, pull over to the side of the road having just passed me. Just as I was thinking I could speed past, the driver stepped out waving something red in his hand, obviously flagging me down. I was on BHP’s rail access road and I shouldn’t have been, but it provides safer access to Port Hedland than the busy highway. As I got closer I saw that he was smiling. The red object in his hand became clear and I became relieved. It was an ice-cold can of coke. He told me he is a keen mountain-biker so we had a chat about cycling while I enjoyed the cold drink. As we talked another 4WD pulled up and a senior worker stepped out. Bugger! Now we’re both in trouble. He strolled over and offered me the bag of fruit in his hand. My lucky day! I rode on with a smile on my face. By the end of the day I had met many of the local BHPBIO workers as they stopped for chats. Not one of them questioned my presence, at least in terms of my being permitted to be there – they all questioned why a guy on a bike would be out in the middle of nowhere though. They also all offered kind words of support and checked to see if I had enough water. In the midst of this, I got my first flat tyre. I am devastated I can no longer say proudly I haven’t had a flat tyre. Still, one flat in 5,300km isn’t bad at all.

Welcome to my diary!

In pursuit of a dream, I left my home in Western Australia and began cycling around the world. I write in my diary every night so that one day I can look back on my journey and relive those precious moments I would otherwise not remember. What motivates me to keep up a daily diary?

Disclaimer

To provide a constant story in the face of inconstant internet access, I accumulated a backlog of material before commencing publication. Consequently, my diary is depicting events that happened about a year ago. To receive up-to-date news and stories, you are more than welcome to add yourself to my newsletter mailing list. Sign up HERE or check out my NEWSLETTERS page to learn more.